Braking device for skates with aligned wheels

Abstract: A braking device, particularly for skates having a frame (2) to which a plurality of mutually aligned wheels (6) is pivoted. The device is constituted by an element (7) which is pivoted to the frame (2) in contrast with a spring (10) and interacts with the ground at a first end (11) upon a backward rotation of the skate. The device comprises a second end (16) which interacts with the lateral surfaces of one of the wheels (6), allowing to preserve them from wear.

Description: The present invention relates to an in-line skate with braking device. Bringing the skate to a full stop during sports practice is currently a problem for the skater; in conventional skates, a brake constituted by a block of plastic material is in fact associated to the rear of the wheel supporting frame, and said block is made to interact with the ground by rotating the skate backward. However, this operation is hazardous, since it can cause the skater to lose his balance, with dangerous consequences. Furthermore, the block wears considerably and must be replaced very frequently. Solutions are also known which provide for the interaction of a brake directly on the rolling surface of the wheel: the consequent drawback is of course the need to replace the wheel frequently. EP-A-0379906 discloses a roller skate provided with a rear pivoted member having a rear end adapted to contact the ground and the opposite front end adapted to act on the wheel for braking. The aim of the present invention is to solve the described drawbacks by providing a skate which allows the skater to stop it or reduce its speed while preserving the wheel from wear and allowing the skater to perform the maneuver in safety. A further object is to provide a skate with aligned wheels which allows the skater to achieve better braking control. Another important object is to provide a skate which has a simple structure and is easy to industrialize. Another object is to provide a braking device which is reliable, safe in use and has very low manufacturing costs which allow its widespread diffusion and application even to conventional skates. This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent from the following description are achieved by a skate with a braking device as claimed in the appended claims. Other objects will become apparent during the following description, which must be considered together with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of non-limitative example, a particular embodiment, in which: Figure 1 is a partially sectional side view of a portion of a skate wherein the device is shown in the inactive condition; Figure 2 is an exploded partial view of some of the components of the device; Figure 3 is a cross section view of the device, taken at the element associated with the frame, in the braking conditions. With reference to the above figures, and considering that they exemplify a particular embodiment and are in variable scale and that identical or equivalent parts correspond to individual reference numerals in said figures, the numeral 1 designates the braking device, particularly for a skate comprising a U-shaped frame 2 with first wings 3 and 4 directed toward the ground 5; a plurality of mutually aligned wheels 6 is pivoted to the wings. The braking device is constituted by an element 7 which is composed of a central body 8 which is associated between the first wings 3 and 4 of the frame 2 so that it can swing about a first pivot 9. The central body 8 is partially accommodated within the frame 2 and can swing in contrast with an elastically deformable element, such as a spring 10. The central body 8 has a first end 11, arranged outside the frame 2, which is formed by a shell 12 having the second wings 13a and 13b. A roller 15 is freely pivoted, by means of a second pivot 14, below the second wings 13a and 13b and interacts with the ground 5 upon a backward rotation imparted to the skate. The spring 10 can be interposed, in a pre-compressed condition, between the central body 8 and the frame 2 so that the second wings 13a and 13b of the shell 12 remain in abutment against the first wings 3 and 4 of the frame 2: this allows to keep the roller 15 raised from the ground 5 during normal sports practice. The central body 8 has a second end 16 which is arranged inside the frame 2 and surmounts one of the wheels 6 in the condition for normal sports practice. The second end 16 also has a surface 17 which faces the wheel 6 and has a concave shape so as to form two inclined planes 18 and 19 which interact with the lateral surfaces, or with the surfaces adjacent to the rolling surface, of the underlying wheel 6 during braking. Braking occurs upon a backward rotation of the skate, determined by the skater, which makes the roller 15 touch the ground 5. This leads to the rotation, about the first pivot 9, of the element 7, which further compresses the spring 10 and makes the inclined planes 18 and 19 interact with the lateral surfaces of the wheel. The spring 10 can be interposed between the frame 2 and the second end 16, so as to keep the inclined planes 18 and 19 raised with respect to the lateral surfaces or to the surfaces adjacent to the rolling surface of the underlying wheel 6 during normal sports practice. It has thus been observed that the device has achieved the intended aim and objects, allowing the skater to stop the skate or reduce its speed, while preserving the wheel from wear, since it is the roller, which may also be made of very hard material, that interacts with the ground. Furthermore, the fact that the rotation of the element 7 makes the inclined planes interact with the lateral surfaces of the wheel also allows to shift the center of gravity of the braking action below the foot of the skater, thus improving balance and braking control and increasing safety. Naturally, the materials of which the elements of the device are made, as well as the dimensions of the individual components of the device, may vary according to the requirements. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: A skate comprising a frame (2), a plurality of mutually aligned wheels (6) rotatably secured to said frame and a braking device; said wheels including a rearmost wheel having lateral surfaces and a central rolling surface; said braking device comprising a braking element pivotably mounted to said frame at said rear end thereof, said braking element including a ground contact portion (15) at a rear end and a wheel contact portion (17) at a front end, said braking element further including a central body (8) extending over said rearmost wheel so that said wheel contact portion is engageable with said rearmost wheel upon a pivoting of said braking element during a braking procedure; said wheel contact portion comprising a braking surface (18,19) disposed at an inclined angle to contact said rearmost wheel during said braking procedure; said central body (8) having a first end portion (11) disposed outside of said frame and a second end portion (16) disposed inside said frame over said rearmost wheel; an elastically deformable element (10) being in contact with said braking element and said frame to bias said braking element towards a position wherein said wheel contact portion (17) is spaced from said rearmost wheel (6); characterized in that it comprises a roller (15) associated with said first end portion (11) and constituting said ground contact portion; said first end comprising a shell 12 having wings (13a, 13b) supporting said roller (15); said braking surface being of a concave shape so as to form two inclined planes (18,19) in contact solely with said lateral surfaces of said rearmost wheel (6) during said braking procedure, whereby braking wear of said central rolling surface of the wheel is avoided. The skate according to claim 1, characterized in that said elastically deformable element is constituted by a pre-compressed spring (10) which is interposed between said central body (8) and said frame (2) so that said second wings (13a, 13b) of said shell remain in abutment against said first wings (3, 4) of said frame (2) in order to keep said roller (15) raised from the ground while said inclined planes (18, 19) are raised with respect to said lateral surfaces of said underlying wheel (6).

Inventors: CONTE GINO, CONTE, GINO
Applicants: ROCES SRL, ROCES S.R.L.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: A63C17
IPC codes: A63C17